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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · suit · stem · court · chair · board · tube · mark

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tube — a container
  11. court — for sport
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. court — of a king
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a grade
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com